Ok, here it goes... I believe my first "new thread" on diyAudio, even though I've been reading off and on for over a year...
I've just received my Sonic Impact 5066 (thank you thinkgeek) and plan to modify it with most of the mods listed on diyaudio, audiocircle and audioasylum - basically building a poor man's Clari-T. These should produce an amp with 12-15 watts per channel (verses about 6 running on stock battery power), and decent binding posts/RCAs.
The intent is to build a set of full range speakers for office use (or maybe bedroom use) that should be able to produce at least moderate sound levels (room size is 11x14x8). Intent is to make it good (from a frequency perspective) without a subwoofer - which couldn't really be used in my office anyway - attached neighbors probably wouldn't like the sub-100 hertz stuff. Boxes will be some type of minimal design - easy build and small - something like an ELF 1.0 - size of enclosure isn't critical.
Source will be either MP3 (high quality rips via soundcard) or CD-player - eventually probably a CD-ROM based transport with a DACkit, but that's dreaming a little at this point. Cost is an issue, but I'll spend $20 more on the drivers if it will yield good returns.
The question is... what driver?
Looking at the 10 minispeaker roundup from John Krutke, I have two candidates - one the usual suspect...
* Option 1 - Hi-Vi B3S - $30 for a pair, shipped to Southwestern USA from PE - good response curve, cheap,
* Option 2 - the usual suspect - Tangband W3-871S - more expensive ($44 for a pair shipped to USA from CSS) - good response curve (albeit more peaks), lots of DIY history out there, higher reported sensitivity rating
The question I suppose really is - is it worth increasing the cost of the drivers by $14 (and delivery time by several days) to get what looks to be similar performance and an improvement in sensitivity rating from (as reported by John) 79.24 to 83.46?
Also, does anyone have any experience with the Hi-Vi B3S they'd like to share? Or either of these drivers paired with a modified 5066 (or Clari-T amp)?
Thanks in advance.
Travis
I've just received my Sonic Impact 5066 (thank you thinkgeek) and plan to modify it with most of the mods listed on diyaudio, audiocircle and audioasylum - basically building a poor man's Clari-T. These should produce an amp with 12-15 watts per channel (verses about 6 running on stock battery power), and decent binding posts/RCAs.
The intent is to build a set of full range speakers for office use (or maybe bedroom use) that should be able to produce at least moderate sound levels (room size is 11x14x8). Intent is to make it good (from a frequency perspective) without a subwoofer - which couldn't really be used in my office anyway - attached neighbors probably wouldn't like the sub-100 hertz stuff. Boxes will be some type of minimal design - easy build and small - something like an ELF 1.0 - size of enclosure isn't critical.
Source will be either MP3 (high quality rips via soundcard) or CD-player - eventually probably a CD-ROM based transport with a DACkit, but that's dreaming a little at this point. Cost is an issue, but I'll spend $20 more on the drivers if it will yield good returns.
The question is... what driver?
Looking at the 10 minispeaker roundup from John Krutke, I have two candidates - one the usual suspect...
* Option 1 - Hi-Vi B3S - $30 for a pair, shipped to Southwestern USA from PE - good response curve, cheap,
* Option 2 - the usual suspect - Tangband W3-871S - more expensive ($44 for a pair shipped to USA from CSS) - good response curve (albeit more peaks), lots of DIY history out there, higher reported sensitivity rating
The question I suppose really is - is it worth increasing the cost of the drivers by $14 (and delivery time by several days) to get what looks to be similar performance and an improvement in sensitivity rating from (as reported by John) 79.24 to 83.46?
Also, does anyone have any experience with the Hi-Vi B3S they'd like to share? Or either of these drivers paired with a modified 5066 (or Clari-T amp)?
Thanks in advance.
Travis
Firstly, the TA2024 will begin to increase in distortion once you pass the 5-6 watt mark regardless of the power supply. This is just the design of the amp. So you really have a fine 5 watter, or only a decent 10watter. I think 15 is really pushing it.
Also, the small, inefficient drivers you are looking are not going to produce anything close moderate levels in that size room unless you use more power. A Teac or GC would be better. If you use the Sonic, Id look at a minimum of a 90db speaker. A Fostex FE103 in a Bushorn or TL for example, although more work that a bookshelf box, will give a good output in that size room. Hope that helps.
amt
Also, the small, inefficient drivers you are looking are not going to produce anything close moderate levels in that size room unless you use more power. A Teac or GC would be better. If you use the Sonic, Id look at a minimum of a 90db speaker. A Fostex FE103 in a Bushorn or TL for example, although more work that a bookshelf box, will give a good output in that size room. Hope that helps.
amt
Thanks for the TL suggestion - after a year plus (maybe more like 2) of reading plant10's posts concerning TLs, I'd definately be interested in an option like that. I'd definately live with the additional cabinet work - and it might make the project more interesting.
Comments like yours on the 90db sensitivity are what lead me to post... Having seen references to people searching out 92+db sensitive speakers to pair with this amp drove me to ask this question.
To clarify on the room size - the room is 11x14, but the speakers would be positioned only to radiate towards half of the room - so I suppose it's more like an 11x7 room with an open sidewall.
Anyone else have some suggestions? All ears.
Travis
Comments like yours on the 90db sensitivity are what lead me to post... Having seen references to people searching out 92+db sensitive speakers to pair with this amp drove me to ask this question.
To clarify on the room size - the room is 11x14, but the speakers would be positioned only to radiate towards half of the room - so I suppose it's more like an 11x7 room with an open sidewall.
Anyone else have some suggestions? All ears.
Travis
Am doing the same thing with the T-amp and a couple of W4-1052sa's with the glue ring/eq mods. 90db sensitivity, and it's a 4 ohm driver, which gets about 9.5 clean watts out of the T-amp. Should have better bass than the drivers you're considering, too, though the boxes will have to be bigger.
If you don't want to disturb the neighbors, you should consider open baffle. Dipole bass doesn't travel through room boundaries like boxed bass. Why give up hearing your bass if you don't have to?
My desktop speakers are just fostex FE206's and a 10" woofer on OB. Just a coil on the woofers and I get plenty of great sound with a 1.5 watt tube amp and I listen quite loud at times. My powerwave, which has the same chip amp as the sonic impact, drives them louder than I ever need.
My desktop speakers are just fostex FE206's and a 10" woofer on OB. Just a coil on the woofers and I get plenty of great sound with a 1.5 watt tube amp and I listen quite loud at times. My powerwave, which has the same chip amp as the sonic impact, drives them louder than I ever need.
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